


Little Red Corvette

by briibee



Category: Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2015)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-06-06 09:46:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6748804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/briibee/pseuds/briibee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to some unfortunate events, Sideswipe finds himself living on the streets without any proper fuel or shelter. That is, until an infamous Mob Boss decides to take him in and put him to good use, introducing the young Autobot to the life of organized crime and some rather interesting romance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU that happens before Sideswipe was arrested by Bumblebee and Strongarm in the first episode of the series.

Evening was approaching fast as downtown Iacon began to thrive with the night life, just as bustling as during the day. The air grew chilly once the sun began to disappear behind the distant sky scrapers, and the colorful lights that lined the streets shined brighter. It was hard to see their reflection glisten along his once clean exterior now covered in filth from days of scavenging for food and shelter.

Sideswipe blinked slowly, his opticals burning from exhaustion as his head hung low. His back rested against the building as it vibrated from the loud bass of the music in the clubs while his arms rested on his bent knees. His tanks ached from going days without fuel, while his joints creaked from having to lay on the alley's ground for recharge.

Usually, he would be couch surfing from friend to friend, but as of recently they refused to extend his stay. Sunstreaker was no help either.

The crimson mech could not stand another day of having to hear about how successful his twin had become, while his own life was not as fortunate. He was just as tired from all the bickering, all the tension, and having to watch as he and his brother drifted farther and farther apart. Once upon a time they were joined at the hip, but now it was like speaking to a complete stranger.

Sideswipe lifted his helm and stared up at the dark sky, letting out a heavy sigh.

He suddenly heard the opening of a door just down the alley and looked over, half expecting it to be the bar owner coming to shoo him away.

Instead, it was a pair of mechs, who looked around rather hastily before emerging perfectly calm. It should have alarmed Sideswipe that their optics were a bright red, a common sign for Decepticons, but he was too overwhelmed with fatigue to properly react. Instead, he lowered his head again and tried to act invisible.

"Are you sure you'll be alright walking home, boss? I think it would be best if I accompanied you, ya'know, in case something were to happen?" the largest mech said.

"Geez, Scowl, yous actin' like I never stepped foot on the streets before," the second mech growled, pulling a coat tighter around his shoulders. "Besides, I like the solitude. Allows me to think."

"Alright, boss, see ya tomorrow," the mech nodded and walked off towards the busy street.

Sideswipe heard the click of a Cy-gar and the approach of heavy feet. He bowed his head a little lower, hoping to avoid detection.

Too little too late, the feet stopped and Sideswipe felt optics staring down at him.

"Ey, kid."

Gulping a little, he looked up to meet the steely gaze of the unnamed Decepticon, who's hand was still holding the Cy-gar to his lips. Frag, the mech was huge.

From what Sideswipe could see, he was heavily built as the coat that hung on his broad shoulders hid strong arms. Resting on his head were a large pair of antlers that appeared threatening even by a mere glance.

"What's wrong with yous?"

"...Why does it matter to you?" Sideswipe asked, his voice low and groggy from exhaustion and hopelessness.

"Well, for starters, yous usually don't see a lot of pretty bots sitting in dark alleys. Especially in this neighborhood," the mech stated.

"I'm not a pleasurebot if that's what you're wondering."

"Wasn't even gonna ask. And even if yous were, I doubt you'd make a livin' by just sitting on the ground," the mech tilted his head to look over Sideswipe's condition.

The younger bot saw no point in the conversation and lowered his helm back onto his arms. He hoped with the obvious disinterest, the brute would simply leave him alone to his misery. When the mech shifted, he noticed the large hoof shaped pedes that were half his size, faintly stained with energon.

"...Ey yo..."

Sideswipe sighed a little and looked back up, hoping he did not have to beg for his life.

"...Yous need a place to stay?"

He blinked. At this point, any form of affection was rare. He became accustomed by the disgusted glares of anyone who had to walk past him, the constant abuse by other street bums, and the isolation of having to be on his own.

"...For what reason?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well...I've been watchin' you since yous first started hovering around," the mech said. "..And I hate to see pretty bots get sucked into the dark depths of this part of the city."

Sideswipe stared at him, then back towards the end of the alley from which he emerged from. The mech blew a cloud of smoke.

"Look, the name's Thunderhoof, see? I run the biggest criminal enterprise, and I own this town from the bottoms up. I have a job opening in my business, and as it just so happens, I also have a room back at my place. That way, you can earn enough money until you can afford a place of your own. Whaddya say, kid?"

Sideswipe narrowed his opticals, "...How do I know this is a legit offer?"

"Look, kid, if I wanted to kill yous or whatever, I would have done it right here in this dark part of the world where no one can see," the Con snorted.

"Sorry, but not a lot of bots are as willing to give that much help."

"No need to be crabby, kid. Look, are yous gonna take the offer or no? Cuz I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of other low lives who would like to have the fresh start that I'm offerin."

"Of course I'll take it," Sideswipe snapped.

"Good, now get your aft up and follow me," Thunderhoof growled, beckoning him as he sucked in his cy-gar and blew.

Sideswipe blinked, still trying to process what just happened.

Thunderhoof had already started walking away when he stopped and looked over his shoulder, "Well, aren't yous comin?"

The red mech got up as quickly as his aching joints would allow him and followed the mech closely.

"Ey yo, here I am givin' you all kinds of scrap, and I don't even know your name. So what is it?"

"...Sideswipe. It's Sideswipe."

"Sideswipe, eh? Well let's hope you can earn up to a name like that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sideswipe accepts to spend the night as at some Crimelord's home, whom he just met that very moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to get this chapter done and over with so sorry if it seems rushed and/or unfinished.

It wasn't the first time he’d heard the name, Thunderhoof.

And he wasn't lying when he said he ran the biggest criminal enterprise in Iacon, and probably most of Cybertron. After all the stories Sideswipe had heard about him, he never pictured him to be someone who would offer up his hospitality.

They ended up at a large apartment complex that towered over most of the neighboring buildings. It was very upscale, and for the first time in a while, Sideswipe felt embarrassed to be seen the way he was. He could imagine the rusty trail he was leaving behind on the pristine floor, and felt the looks of disgust from the doormech and other occupants as they walked into the golden lobby. 

Thunderhoof stopped briefly to glare at the doormech. "I ain't expecting visitors, so I better not see anybody at my door, kapeesh?"

"Y-yes sir," the doormech nodded nervously.

Sideswipe looked up at Thunderhoof, "Not a fan of solicitors?"

"Yous could say that."

"Yeah, okay."

They rode on a lift all the way up to the highest floor of the building, not a word spoken as the only sound was the elevator music. When the doors opened, they led right into the apartment. Sideswipe shouldn't have been surprised, but he was. It was just as pristine as the lobby, but with warmer shades of gold, giving it a more relaxed appearance. Straight ahead, large windows wrapped around the living area, revealing a beautiful view of the city below. 

Sideswipe trailed behind Thunderhoof as he hooked his coat up and tossed out the now empty cygar into a nearby disposal. It had been so long since he had been in a suitable home. This place would have even put Sunstreaker's to shame. He admired the expensive artwork that hung on the walls as he followed the mob boss into the next room.

The silver, spotless kitchen overlooked the living room, consisting of a crescent couch sitting in front of a large window that peered down at the building traffic.

"Heh, you'd think a big criminal like yourself would be more discreet about his place," Sideswipe teased, though it wasn't like he was complaining.

Thunderhoof smirked, "Ey, if you got it, flaunt it." He flipped on the lights and glanced back at Sideswipe. "Primus, even in this lighting yous don't look as good. Get yourself cleaned up. The washroom is just down the hall.”

Sideswipe nodded and made his way to the washroom. When he saw himself in the mirror, even he was just as shocked and disgusted. It had been awhile since he’d seen his own appearance, besides the reflections in the street windows. But all the proof of his hard days on the street had been collected right there on his body. He could barely see his own paintjob, if he even had it anymore.

When he stepped into the shower, the pressure of the solvents never felt so good on his body.  He wanted nothing more than to stay in there for the rest of the night, but he assumed Thunderhoof would not appreciate that. The young mech made sure to scrub off every speck of filth before emerging from his one moment of peace, feeling as though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

When Sideswipe returned to the living room, he was greeted by the sight of Thunderhoof holding two cubes of energon. The large Con went to offer him one when he stopped in his place.

"Ey yo," Thunderhoof's optics flickered over his body, "you clean up nice, kid." 

Sideswipe blushed a little and looked around the room awkwardly, causing Thunderhoof to shake himself out of the sudden trance and shove the cube right into his hand.

"Drink this, yous look like you're about ready to tip over."

With a slight nod, Sideswipe took a sip, only to sputter in a cough when the sudden burn of high grade engex hit the back of his throat.

"Oh yeah, I don't buy any of that cheap sludge. Just the good stuff."

Sideswipe grumbled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "...So, about that job?"

"Eh, we'll discuss it in the morning. I'll show yous to your room so you can put away your stuff," Thunderhoof chuckled and Sideswipe rolled his optics.

The guest room was simple with a nice berth and yet another window of the city nightlife, with the shades automatically pulling themselves down slowly. Sideswipe nodded as he strode in, "Not too shabby."

"Sorry if it ain't as cozy as that little spot in the alley," Thunderhoof smirked, slightly leaning against the doorway. "Oh, and a little heads up, I'm gonna be lockin’ yous in here."

" _What?_ " Sideswipe whirled around.

"Just a precaution. Never know if you're suddenly gonna put a knife in my back," Thunderhoof shrugged. "For all I know, yous could be some nutjob that I should have left on the street. But you'll have to prove that I can trust yous with the work you're gettin' tomorrow."

"Fine," Sideswipe growled as he sat on the berth and swung his legs. "Just don't stab _me_ in the back. For all I know, you could be some nutjob who likes taking in pretty bots as easy prey."

Thunderhoof smirked again, “Yous got spunk, kid. See yous in the morning.” The doors slid closed and locked themselves shut as previously warned.

Sideswipe let out an exhausted sigh as he laid back on the berth, but it quickly changed into a long groan. _Primus_ , how long had he been without a real bed? He stretched his body as he relished in the comfort, wrapping himself up in the warm blankets and nuzzling into the plush pillow.

It was hard for him to believe that a _crimelord_ would be so generous. He had to be careful, because for all he knew, this new “job” could get himself in more trouble than he already was, or maybe even worse.

 

* * *

 

“Rise n’ shine, kid!”

Sideswipe gasped as he flailed awake and tumbled off of the berth, trapping himself in the mass of blankets. Thunderhoof laughed, “Are yous always this graceful?”

“Nngh…Only when I’m rudely awakened,” Sideswipe grumbled, blinking his sore opticals awake.

“I would have let you sleep in, but we got business to attend to today. Now c’mon. After we eat, we gotta head out,” Thunderhoof said before leaving the room. Sideswipe shook his head as he untangled himself from the covers.

Despite recharging peacefully throughout the night, Sideswipe still felt exhausted. A rough transition from sleeping on the streets.

When he emerged from the bedroom, Thunderhoof was sitting at a table just on the other side of the kitchen, already eating and reading from a tablet. In front of the empty chair beside him was a bowl of energon flakes.

The familiar hunger aches returned to his tanks as soon as he caught sight of it, remembering that he had barely drank the powerful engex given to him last night. Once he sat down, Sideswipe tried his best not to practically inhale his food.

“Hm,” Thunderhoof smiled at the tablet, before tapping his gigantic fingers along the screen. A large image appeared in front of the couch down in the living room, covering the entire window panel. It was a news broadcast featuring a long line of damaged buildings, with broken windows and damaged doors. Some of them were spray painted with random symbols and cartoon characters, but a single warehouse had their graffiti censored for obvious reasons.

“...Police are further investigating the destruction caused to the warehouse and neighboring buildings. The owner, well known philanthropist, Polar Claw, stated that he believed the robbery to be random…”

Sideswipe looked over at the antlered Decepticon, who leaned back in his chair, smirking as his arms were crossed in achievement, “Yeah, just keep tellin’ em that, ya frosty bag of bolts.”

“Don’t you look pleased,” he said, munching on the flakes. “What do you have against a Philanthropist?”

“Ey, I don’t mind a friendly challenge between competing businesses every now and then. But if he thinks that moving onto my turf is fair game, well, he’s got another thing comin’.”

“Polarclaw’s a crimelord? Hm, I guess I should have expected that,” Sideswipe shrugged. “I mean, how else could he have gotten all that money…but why not rat you out?”

“Because even he’s classy enough to not be a snitch, which I gotta respect him for. But the thing is, in enterprises like ours, we like to deal with our own problems personally. An optic for an optic,” Thunderhoof winked at him, “which means I gotta keep my goons on high alert…and that’s where yous comes in.”

Sideswipe stopped in midchew, “W-wha?”

Thunderhoof turned off the screen and stood up, “C’mon, kid. It’s time to get to work.

 

* * *

 

 

They returned to the alley where they had first met, but this time they went all the way to the door where Thunderhoof had walked out. After typing in a code, the doors slid open and they walked into a dimly lit hallway.

A single light shown overhead onto yet another steel door, but this time no sort of advanced security. Thunderhoof cleared his throat, and suddenly, a small rectangular window appeared along with a pair of fierce red opticals with yellow irises.

“What is it—Oh, hey boss!” a familiar voice laughed as the door slid open.

Sideswipe felt his mouth go dry at the sight of the mech. He remembered him from last night, but he didn’t realize just how terrifying he really was.

And by terrifying, he meant by just being a Dinobot.

“Mornin’, Scowl,” Thunderhoof greeted as he casually walked in. “Good work on the job last night…although yous could have done without all those spikes drawn all over. Show some class.”

“Alright, Boss. Just thought it needed a lil’ somethin’ just to get the message straight,” Scowl smirked. “Stay outta Thunderhoof’s way, or you’ll certainly get f—hey, who’s this?”

Sideswipe was looking around the office when Scowl suddenly grabbed him by the arm and hoisted him up. He yelped in pain and stared at the large mech in fear as he was looked over.

“Relax, he’s with me. Picked him off the street last night,” Thunderhoof said as he placed his coat on a hook. “He’s harmless, I let him sleep in my own home and nothing happened.”

Scowl let out a grunt and released Sideswipe, causing him to fall right on his back.

“…The floor seems to be my calling today,” Sideswipe said before sitting back up.

“Hey, kid, get over here,” Thunderhoof waved him over to his own personal office. Unlike his house, there were barely any windows for obvious reasons, but that didn’t mean his taste in décor simmered down either.

The room was rather dark just like the rest of the building. Pictures of what looked to be scenes from old legends hung on the walls, from a depiction of the Primes first being sparked to the exile of Megatronus Prime. A large black desk sat in the room with a big throne like chair, enough to accommodate a big guy like Thunderhoof. In one corner sat an energon dispenser with several types of Engex, which Thunderhoof was immediately helping himself to.

“Have a seat, Swipes,” Thunderhoof said as he strode over to the desk, and Sideswipe walked over to the chair sitting in front of it. “I bet you’re wondering what I have planned for yous with this job.”

“You sure you can’t read processors?” Sideswipe asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, yous remember what I told you about the little competition I have with Polarclaw, and how this will certainly become more than just a little one-two,” Thunderhoof sipped his energon. “It shouldn’t become an all-out turf war, but I like to be safe just in case. I need to get my underlings ready for whatever that overgrown snowball throws at us. And that’s where yous comes in.”

“…Hate to break it to you, but I’m not much of a fighter,” Sideswipe said.

 “Oh ho, yes yous are,” Thunderhoof smirked. “Don’t lie to me, kid, I’ve seen yous in action.”

“W-wait, what?”

Thunderhoof turned to his computer and swung the screen around for him to see. On it was a surveillance video of what looked like a normal day in Iacon. Busy streets, pedestrians everywhere, nothing out of the ordinary.

Until Sideswipe, in his alt mode, suddenly sped through the screen, vanishing completely followed by a large group of cops. The cameras followed him racing throughout the city, taking sharp turns with ease and managing to avoid collision with multiple Cybertronians, both bipedal and transformed. Even when the police tried to surround him, he managed to escape their blockades and avoid whatever shots they fired at him. After a little while later, Sideswipe sped into an alley and transformed, jumping up the side of the building and onto the roof just as the police turned the corner. The camera zoomed in, just as Sideswipe smirked to himself before running off on foot.

Sideswipe stared in shock and looked up at Thunderhoof with a glare, “…You lied to me.  You’ve been watching me before all this!”

“Hey, I was going to approach yous earlier, but you disappeared right after that. I thought for a second someone else might’ve gotten to yous, or maybe the cops finally did. Then I saw yous wandering around here like a lost Minicon. I guess miracles do happen.”

“So you’ve been following me?”

“Again, precautions. Thought I’d finally give you a try.”

Sideswipe scoffed and crossed his arms, “So just what sort of place do I have in your little plan?”

Thunderhoof smirked and stood up, walking over to gaze at his prized artwork. “Everyone around here knows who I am, who Scowl is, and just about all of my closest goons. You see, I can’t exactly walk in broad daylight just yet knowing Polarclaw’s probably watching my every move. And calls can be easily tracked nowadays so there’s no way I’m able to notify everyone. Which is why I need someone to be my personal connection throughout my business. Someone who I can trust, who can relay memorized messages, and is fast enough to escape both the cops and whomever Polarclaw sends after them. And that bot is yous, Swipes.”

Sideswipe blinked, “…So you want me to be your little messenger? Really?”

“Somethin’ wrong?”

“Well, no offense, but it just seems like a lot of work just to make me into your little delivery drone.”

“If that’s how you feel, you’re free to walk out of here,” Thunderhoof shrugged and sat back down. “I can always find someone else to stay in my home until they pick themselves back up. To accept…” He pulled the screen back around, tapped at it, before turning it back to Sideswipe, “…this much pay.”

When Sideswipe saw the amount, his optics nearly short circuited, “W-what?! You gotta be kidding me!”

“As real as yous want it, kid,” Thunderhoof smirked.

Sideswipe had no words. It was all happening so fast. Too fast. He should have asked more questions, he should have dwelled more into why Thunderhoof needed _him_ , and he wasn’t even a real racer, although he wished he was. 

“…Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal,” Sideswipe finally said, his spark beating heavily against his chest, but he couldn't tell if it was out of excitement or fear. 

Thunderhoof smirked and offered his hand, “Welcome to the family, kid.”

And, hesitantly, Sideswipe took it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kids, if it hasn't been that obvious, Sideswipe makes bad choices and therefore makes a bad role model.


End file.
